), and particulate matter, contributing to global warming and smog.

As a non-renewable fossil fuel, there is a global push toward fuel conservation and the development of alternatives like electric vehicles and biofuels.

Modern gasoline is rarely just "straight-run" from a distillation tower. To meet high demand and performance standards, refineries use several chemical processes:

The initial separation of crude oil into different "fractions" based on boiling points.

This measures a fuel's resistance to "knocking" or "pinging" during combustion. Higher octane numbers indicate the fuel can withstand more compression before detonating.

💡 In the early days of the oil industry, gasoline was actually considered a useless byproduct of kerosene production and was often discarded! It wasn't until the invention of the automobile in 1892 that its value was truly recognized.